Meet Navya Haridas, BJP candidate for Wayanad bypoll against Priyanka Gandhi

Navya Haridas, 39, is a two-time councillor in Kozhikode Corporation and BJP parliamentary party leader in the corporation. She also serves as the state General Secretary of BJP Mahila Morcha.

In Short

• Navya Haridas is a councillor and Kerala BJP's Mahila Morcha General Secretary
• She contested 2021 Kerala election but lost to Congress's Ahammad Devarkovil
• Elections in Wayanad follow Rahul Gandhi's choice to retain Raebareli seat

The BJP has fielded Navya Haridas against Congress's Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for the Wayanad bypolls to the Lok Sabha. The voting is scheduled to be held on November 13, and the results will be announced on November 23.

WHO IS NAVYA HARIDAS?

Navya Haridas, 39, is a two-time councillor in Kozhikode Corporation and BJP parliamentary party leader in the corporation. She also serves as the state General Secretary of BJP Mahila Morcha.

Haridas holds a BTech degree in Mechanical Engineering from KMCT Engineering College, affiliated with Calicut University.

She was the BJP candidate for Kozhikode South constituency in the 2021 Kerala Assembly election, but lost to Congress candidate Ahammad Devarkovil.

CONGRESS NOT MEETING DEMANDS OF WAYANAD: NAVYA HARIDAS

Speaking exclusively to India Today TV after her nomination, Navya Haridas highlighted the needs of the Wayanad constituency.

"People in the Wayanad need some advancement there. The Congress family is not actually meeting the requirements of the people of Wayanad. From this election onwards, Wayanad residents need a better member in Parliament who can address their issues," she said.

Haridas emphasised the importance of having a representative who prioritises the concerns of the local community.

With a background in local governance, Haridas shared her experience in public service. "I have administrative experience, like I have been elected twice as a councillor in Kerala. So, for the last eight years, I have been in the political field, serving the people, knowing their problems, and always being with them," she said.

Elections were necessitated in Wayanad after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who was elected from both Wayanad and Raebareli, chose to retain the latter.

Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India (CPI) has named senior leader Sathyan Mokeri as the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate for the Wayanad bypoll.